Sunday he will make a final bid to qualify for the Sydney Olympics marathon.

Smith hopes all the hard work he put in during a five-week training stint in Albuquerque, New Mexico, late in April will pay off when he lines up in the Grandma's Marathon which he has to complete in two hours and 20 minutes to reach the Olympic standard. His previous best is 2:29 which he ran in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Although Smith has reportedly been fighting a flu bug since returning from New Mexico, he enters the race in what appears to be his best ever shape.

He left the Island on Tuesday confident that he could run the required time, according to Lee Tucker who has been assisting in his Olympic quest.

"Kavin slipped out early for Duluth in order to familiarise himself with the course and the conditions,'' said Tucker.

"He certainly felt good about his chances and was looking forward to the challenge.

"He left with peace of mind, without the past burdens of having to worry about not being in top condition or a lack of financial support. None of these distractions are there and consequently we are all pleased that he can remain focused on the race.'' Since his record-shattering run of 1:09:36 in the May 24 Marathon Derby, Smith has been busy keeping in shape under the watchful eye of long-time coaching advisor Duncan Newby.

"He put in some good mileage under Newby's watch, close to about 100 miles a week,'' said Tucker. "During my last chat with him he felt that he could achieve a good time out there.'' Kavin Smith: must run under two hours and 20 minutes to qualify for the Olympic marathon.